black-bean and tomato chili

okay, this is so delicious. we could not get enough of this stuff! besides it's goooooood for you!
this is from one of martha stewart's cookbooks. try it, you'll be glad you did.

1 3/4 cups dried black beans (i used canned)
3 or 4 small dried guajillo chiles, toasted (i canned green chiles)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 med onions, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp ground cumin
1 3/4 cup vegetable stock (i used chicken stock)
2 lbs assorted tomatoes, seeded, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1. pick over dried beans, discarding any stones or broken beans, and rinse. place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a strong boil over high heat. cover and remove from the heat, and let stand 1 hour. drain the beans, and set aside.
2. place the chiles in a small bowl, and cover with very hot water. let stand until the chiles are soft, about 20 minutes. cut the chiles in half, and remove the seeds and stems. transfer the chile flesh, along with the soaking liquid, to the bowl of a food processor. process until a puree forms.
3. heat the oil in a medium saucepan over med heat. add the onions, three-quarters of the minced garlic, and the cumin. cover, and cook until softened and slightly browned, about 15 min. add the chile puree and cook 2 minutes more. add the vegetable stock and the black beans. cover, and cook until the beans are soft, about 1 1/2 hours. if the beans seem dry, add another 1/2 cup hot water.
4. in a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, remaining garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and vinegar. let sit 5 minutes. stir half of the tomato mixture into the beans, cover and simmer 1 min more.
5. divide the chili among six soup bowls. top with the remaining tomato mixture, and serve hot.

chocolate marble pound cake

this is from the food & wine year of recipes 2004 cookbook. it is easy and so yummy. i served this with sliced strawberries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

2 cups all-purpose flour (i used half whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus 3 Tbs melted
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
confectioner's sugar, for dusting

1. preheat oven to 350. spray an 8 by 4 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, spray the paper.
2. in a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. in another bowl, combine the melted butter and cocoa until smooth.
3. in a food processor, combine the soft butter and granulated sugar. add the eggs and vanilla and process til smooth. add dry ingredients and pulse just until combined. add the cream and process til smooth. transfer 1 cup of batter to the bowl with cocoa and stir til smooth.
4. spoon half of the remaining batter into the pan and smooth the surface. spread the chocolate batter in the pan, then cover with the remaining plain batter. using a table knife, cut 5 swirls in the batter.
5. bake the pound cake for 25 minutes. reduce to 325 and bake for 25 min more. cover loosely with foil and bake for 15-20 min or until the cake is lightly browned and the center is done.
6. let the pound cake cook in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely on a wire rack. dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

sonoran shrimp scampi

we thought this was pretty good. it's from self magazine. i used only one poblano chile and it was way too spicy for the girls. i guess the idea is that it's so spicy, you'll only be able to eat one bite and that's how you'll lose weight. (remember it's from self magazine)

3 poblano chiles
1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 Tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 Tbs chopped (or thinly sliced) sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup white wine (i use chicken broth)
4 cups farfalle, preferably whole wheat, cooked
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Place chiles directly over the burners of a gas stove. Roast over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and chiles soften, 10-15 minutes. (To roast in oven, cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Places chiles on sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and chiles soften, 12-17 minutes.) Remove from heat and cool. Remove peel and seeds. Slice thinly; set aside. Sprinkle shrimp with half the salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Cook shrimp, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chiles, red peppers, tomatoes, zest and lime juice. Cook until liquid reduces by half and shrimp are no longer translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add wine and reduce until slightly syrupy. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat to low and cover 1 minute. Top with cilantro and serve.

smoky chicken corn cakes

this is from real simple mag. ryan and i liked this but the girls could've passed. see what you think.

1 3 1/2 -4 lb rotisserie chicken (i used 2 chicken breasts)
1 Tbs chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
3 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup part-skim ricotta
10 oz frozen corn, thawed
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Using a fork or your fingers, shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones. In a medium bowl, combine the meat, chipotle, lime juice, 1/4 tsp of the salt, the onion, tomatoes, and cilantro; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, pepper, and the remaining salt. Stir in the eggs and ricotta until no lumps remain. Fold in the corn. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. For each corn cake, spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet and cook until golden brown and set on one side, 2-3 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the cakes and cook 1 minute more. Divide the cakes among individual plates and top with the chicken mixture. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

I skipped the oil, but used the nonstick pan and they didn't stick at all.